Forget portrait, give Peter Slipper the (has) Bean treatment

Mark Furler is APN Australian Regional Media’s group digital editor. He’s an award-winning journalist who has lived and worked on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for more than 25 years. He’s passionate about fighting for a better go for locals. His awards include APN Editor of the Year, and involvement in three PANPA Newspaper of the Year wins for the Sunshine Coast Daily.

UPDATE: AN award-winning cartoonist has reflected what Aussies have been saying all day - forget the portrait - give Peter Slipper the Bean.

Peter Broelman released this cartoon this afternoon following a public outcry over plans to spend $30,000 on a parliamentary portrait for the disgraced Sunshine Coast MP.

"Peter Slipper immortaised? For what? And politicians wonder why they are held in such contempt?,'' SCvoter said on the Sunshine Coast Daily's website today.

"I can give Parliament a poster of Mr Bean to hang on the wall and save the taxpayers $30,000. But the pollies would only find another way to squander it for sure.

Another, Sanda from Maroochydore said: "Why not give the money to charity and just put up an old movie poster of a Mr Bean movie. It's probably going to be a better likeness than any painted portrait.''

Mr Slipper has jokingly referred to himself as Mr Bean in previous stories with the Daily.

To date, he has not commented on the art anger but the Daily would love to hear if he plans to cancel the artwork and save taxpayers some money.

Who knows, Mr Broelman might even offer a full size potrait of today's cartoon as an alternative to hang in the house.

Outrage over $30k portrait to honour Peter Slipper

ANGRY Sunshine Coast retirees have called on Peter Slipper to resign as an MP rather than be immortalised in a $30,000 parliamentary portrait.

Association of Independent Retirees Coast president Helen Sava said it was 'totally ridiculous' that Mr Slipper was to be honoured with a portrait after his short time as Speaker.

News.com.au reported that a Senate committee heard on Monday that the portraits of Mr Slipper and his predecessor Harry Jenkins would cost more than $60,000.

THE ABC reported that Mr Slipper went to the National Portrait Gallery with an officer from the art services branch in June to view portraits and select a short-list of possible candidates.

Painted portraits of Speakers are a long tradition.

But Ms Sava said Mr Slipper should not be honoured in any way, especially given that he had been stood down for much of his time as Speaker.

"The man has just overspent, overspent and overspent,'' she said, referring to his exorbitant travel and office claims.

Ms Sava said her members were facing higher food and power costs while their investments had gone sour.

"Nothing is as we planned for retirement,'' she said.

Yet in contrast, politicians like Mr Slipper were flying all over Australia and the world at taxpayers' expense.

News reports suggest there is still time for Mr Slipper to save taxpayers' money.

He is yet to decide on his choice of artist.

The standard commission was $30,000, not including the tab for artists' travel expenses.

One person quipped on Twitter that they wondered whether the artist could be paid in cab charges.

Mr Slipper resigned as Speaker last Monday after the release of lewd text messages between himself and former adviser James Ashby.

Mr Ashby has accused Mr Slipper of sexual harassment, a claim the former Liberal is fighting in the courts.